Terminal clamp



1,613104 1927' c. F. HELLMAN TERMINAL CLAMP Filed Sept. 23, 1922 Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICQ TERMINAL CLAMP.

Application filed September 23, 1922. Serial No. 59!},160.

Ihe present invention relates to improvments in terminal clamps for electrical connections and is particularly designed to b used in connection with storage batteries 6 for automobiles although its use is not confined to that particular purpose. particular object of the present invention is to provide a terminal clamp that may be easily and quickly attached and re- W moved and still make a connection sufficiently rigid to give satisfactory results Without the application of solder. A further object of the invention is to provide a terminal clamp that is interchangeable and maybe used as a right-hand or a lefthand clamp.

With these objects in mind I have shown the preferred form of my invention in the accompanying drawing in which Figureql shows my clamp as connecting a heavywire with the. terminal of a battery, Figure 2 a plan view of my clamp as secured to the end of a heavy wire, Figure 3 a plan view of the same clamp turned so as to fiton a left-hand binding post, Figure 4 an end viewof my clamp, Figure 5 a detail View of a split ring .forming part of my clamp and Figure 6 a detail view ofa slotted member used in my clamp, While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention it should be understood that various changes 1 be made within the or modifications may scope of the claim hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention. The'battery (1) of which only a part is shown in the drawing, is provided. with a conical binding post (2). My-',clamp (3) comprises a split ring (4) having a conical inner surface adapted to engage the conical vouter surface of the bindingpost and terminates in two spaced lips (6) and 7), each-lipbeing providedvwith an-external groove (8). to be receivedin a slotted member (9' preferably U-shaped in form. The slotte memher is sufliciently long to .allow of the in- The two lips are adapted sertioii of the" wire (11) between the groove (8) of one of the lips and one end of the slot. A set screw (12) is provided at the opposite end of the slotted member and is adapted to engage the groove (8) of the other lip and to force the two lips together so as to cause the ring to make a tight connection with the binding 'post. In tightening the two lips the set screw simultaneously forces the far lip into close contact with the wire so that when the set screw is tightened a contact is established between the wire and the binding post, so that the arms 6 and 7 are adapted to beheld in a relatively permanent position on the yoke to 1prevent separation of the ring from the It will be readily seen froin the foregoing description that to adapt a right-hand clamp to a left-hand binding post it is only necessary to remove the split ring from the slotted member, turn the same over and return it, the two relative positions being shown in Figures 2 and 3.

I claim;

A terminal clamp' for use in connection with the binding post of a storage battery comprising a yoke having a long slot, a split spring ring adapted to freely fit over the post embracing relation thereto, the ring having a pair of identical 'arms passing through the slot intermediate the ends thereof'so as to provide a space between one arm 1 and an adjacent end of the slot for the reception of a terminal wire, and a'set screw adjustable in the yoke and passing into the slot/to engage with the other armso as to contract the ring and clamp it; around the post and to crowd the arms with respect to the terminal wire 'to' secure same in a relatively permanent position in the and to prevent separation of the ring from theyoke when the ring is expanded and removed from the post.

CHARLES F. HELLMAN.

yoke 

